


To Truly Thrive

by Vergiliaux



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Cats, Fluff, Grinding, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mild Language, Overworking, Self-Reflection, Sleep Deprivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:55:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26278264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vergiliaux/pseuds/Vergiliaux
Summary: Jae Ter-Avest has been working tirelessly (in a literal sense) on fixing up the farmhouse, but now he's suffering the consequences for neglecting sleep at age thirty-something.
Relationships: Sebastian (Stardew Valley)/Original Male Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	To Truly Thrive

**Author's Note:**

> I guess this is my first -actual- fanfic? I've always liked storytelling and wrote very short drabbles in the past. "An Everlasting Vice" aside, I haven't posted more serious stuff for the world to see until recently (be nice to me im babey)
> 
> Went with an M rating to be safe since it gets a little "woah bro" at some point.

A little green figure that’s about the size and shape of a rubber ball happily bounced around the master bedroom, squeaking with excitement as it approached the bed. Its body jiggled around so adorably, like gelatin, and in its path were stars that existed for a fleeting moment before fading away.

Jae Ter-Avest was slowly regaining consciousness. The little green figure bounced off before he was capable enough to process his surroundings. But as it darted away, it let out one last playful chirp as it dove into the darkest corner of the room. The little stars followed, and they, too, inevitably faded away.

Jae's eyes opened once his cognitive abilities straightened out enough. Or, sort of.

He felt heavy and gross like a big ol' boulder stuck in the mud, except the mud is the bed. He always had a habit of sprawling out while asleep, but this time he was neatly tucked in and had an extra pillow propping up his head. That extra pillow clearly came from the other side of the bed, yet he couldn’t move much to put it in its rightful place.

Everything hurts so much, he thought. More importantly, what even happened last night...?

His muscles were so sore that they were burning. His core was on fire. And that wasn't even the biggest factor immobilizing him from literally rolling and tumbling out of bed. Like, Jae could barely keep his eyes open, let alone think. Turning his head and reading the sidetable's clock was also too burdensome. After a bit of struggle (and squinting his earthy-brown eyes), he at least recognized the two digits in the hour position.

Sighing, Jae instead redirected his attention to the scenery beyond the window to watch the trees dance and whisper among each other with the springtime wind. A gentle and crisp breeze wafted through the window and it blew the curtains with it. Yet it saddened Jae that he couldn't enjoy this beautiful morning outside. The weather looked so perfect to continue expanding the farmhouse… Right, he thought, Pelican Town’s gentle giant of a farmer once more overworked himself into exhaustion.

Jae moved his hips around to push himself onto his stomach. His core muscles hurt like hell on top of being nigh-unresponsive. He then tried to nudge that extra pillow back to its rightful place beside him and fluffed it out the best he could. He returned that arm back under his own pillow to prop up his head. His long, auburn locks covered much of his face as his eyelids were becoming heavier and heavier.

In the very last moment of wakeful clarity, Jae realized the last time he felt this terribly:

His early-to-mid twenty-year-old self constantly fretted about the future. Despite spending years studying biology, botany, and forestry, it all went to waste when Joja Corporation dismantled law and public regulations in a matter of a whim and some weeks. The anger started surging Jae awake.

Those years as a disposable little cog, in a corporate machine to line one person’s pockets, felt like a big blur that it both felt like an eternity and a day ago. The disposable little cog couldn’t afford to waste a second of time, including taking the time to recover as its future was on the line. But if that little cog broke under the pressure, it’d be immediately replaced and forgotten with a more “competent” little cog.

Joja Corporation’s slogan included the word “Thrive,” but Jae felt his innards burning with vitriol.

On the contrary, this new life is so foreign that even this gentle giant feels like he’s driven to madness, wondering if he’s dreaming or forgetting about an inhumane deadline. Jae still wakes up from nightmares of routine corporate surveillance and bureaucracy to ensure someone else’s profits.

Jae sort of wished he could be like the trees outside his window right now, blowing around in the breeze without a damn. These trees stood on Jae’s grandfather’s farm, in the bigger picture of things. And just yesterday, Jae was out there with them to make sure they were healthy and nourished. Also, an obnoxious swath of happy strawberry bushes were growing wildly out front.

After a surprise deed to the land, one long year full of mistakes, sweat, blood, and maybe a few tears, Jae wishes his late grandfather can see how the Ter-Avest farm is doing now. It’s even making more money a day than whatever twenty-year-old Jae could ever imagine. 

It all felt so unreal to Jae until he heard the slam of a microwave door in the kitchen. His cat's loud meowing echoed throughout the front room, and it made him reflexively jump up. Jae forgot to feed the cat.

"Meeeeoooowwwww..." 

Jae’s sudden movements made him wince. It seems his joints weren’t having it, either.

"Callie!" another voice echoed from the kitchen, "Callie, come on! I just fed you ten minutes ago!"

Somewhat relieved, Jae couldn’t help but grin at his cat’s usual antics. Callie was adopted shortly after Jae moved in. She’s almost like a daughter to him, even when she can be a bit of a gremlin sometimes.

"You're not having this--No!" (Callie interrupts with more wailing) "No! You’re adorable and I love you very much, but you’re gonna get all chubby again!"

Jae still mustered up some more strength to sit up (he still had his work clothes on from last night). He pulled back his long, auburn locks so it's out of his face and allowed the hair to fall over his left shoulder. The ambient morning light complimented the brownish-orange hues in his hair. Out from the kitchen (and the clutches of Jae's cat) and into the bedroom came a young man dressed in a black hoodie and pajama pants. He had such a case of bed head that his black hair was shaped into what looked like a duck's butt. 

And in the man's hand was a plate of leftover pizza that drew in a long-haired calico cat like a little magnet.

Jae’s gaze and smile met with Sebastian's forest green eyes. "Somebody's right on your tail, Sebastian."

The blue pendant in the shape of a whelk's shell dangled from Sebastian's neck when he turned his head--he wears the pendant proudly for the whole entire world to see. Upon seeing Callie hot on his tracks with her adorable eyes on the prize, Sebastian quickened his pace toward Jae’s bedside.

Sebastian placed his "breakfast" on the sidetable and took a seat next to Jae. He gestured his intent to place a hand on Jae's forehead to check for a fever, then going ahead with his actions when Jae didn't protest.

"How're you feeling?"

Jae groaned. Sebastian's gaze into Jae's eyes intensified the longer he was left without an adequate answer.

...

"I kinda don't want to get out of bed, I guess?"

With a loud sigh, Sebastian plopped himself into Jae and wrapped his arms around him. He buried his face into Jae's toned chest and said to him with a muffled voice: "You better get some rest today, you big idiot."

Jae dwarfed Sebastian's height of five-foot-six at six-foot-five. If every muscle in Jae's body wasn't protesting against him, he would just scoop up his husband back into bed, hold him close, and bend to Sebastian's every whim. But this'll do: Jae certainly doesn't mind having the love of his life clinging to him like a little koala to a large tree.

Jae looked to see Sebastian's green eyes showing his truest feelings: only in Jae's presence has Sebastian opened up and made himself so vulnerable.

"I'll never stop worrying about you."

Ever...

Jae averted his gaze in shame. "If I could kick these bad habits in a heartbeat..."

Sebastian rose, but his fingertips gently brushed their way along Jae's sides, upwards along his chest, and briefly along the back and sides of Jae's neck in a way that the sensation almost gave Jae chills.

"I was so... fucking scared, Jae" Sebastian leaned in closer as he had his husband's head cupped within his hands and lovingly caressing Jae's temples with his thumbs. Sebastian then came even closer so that his forehead and tip of his nose met Jae's. "You weren't in bed, and I saw you had collapsed outside..."

Jae only pulled away to hold up Sebastian's chin with his index finger and thumb. Jae tried to avert his gaze, but he snapped back when Sebastian roped Jae back in with a "Look at me."

And as Jae would bend to Sebastian's will, Sebastian just went in for the kiss. In that very quiet moment, Sebastian made sure Jae knew exactly how he felt. He inched his hips in a bit closer to Jae's in a suggestive manner that Jae quickly had his arms wrapped around Sebastian. They were in a tight embrace again except Sebastian had Jae almost pinned down.

"Ah!" Jae winced. He pulled away and already had a hand on his abs and sternum. Sebastian jumped up a bit and had his hands held up at the shoulder.

"Sorry--"

"No, no," Jae interrupted, "This is what I deserve for overworking myself." 

"Then~ maybe I'll make you pay the rest sometime later." Sebastian crossed his arms and grinned deviously. "And extra for scaring me again!" Sebastian watched his husband's whining with so much glee that he came close to laughing. 

Afterwards, Jae remained on the bed and was almost sprawled out in his usual comfortable position. He enjoyed the sight of Sebastian being so open, expressive, and happy that he would do anything to ensure this happiness.

Except...

"You better not die on me, Jae." Sebastian's back to plopping himself onto Jae. "I quit smoking because I didn't want to die on you." He gently poked Jae's chin with an index finger.

"I'll still do what I can to ensure that," Jae said. "You're the sweetest person I know, and you deserve the best."

Thus entire time, Callie was figuring out a way to get onto the sidetable. She had enough sense to not jump on such a small space on a tabletop beside Jae. And if she were to roam across the bed, she'd still risk disturbing him and Sebastian. She paced about for a bit during their moment of silence before coming to a conclusion...

"Mew... Meeeewww... Meeooooowww!"

She stood right beside the pizza, too. 

Sebastian arose only to kiss Jae one last time before getting up from bed: "I'm going to check the mail and distract her for a while. I'll be back, okay?"

"Sure."

Jae took this moment to reflect on all the memories he had made over this past year versus the vague blur of life prior to moving to Stardew Valley. Maybe, Jae thought, we need to realize that it's moments and connections like these that make us truly Thrive.


End file.
